Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mathematicians have discovered how certain insects can climb what to them are steep, slippery slopes in the water's surface without moving their limbs, and do it at high speed. Welcome to the world of the tiny creatures that live on the surface of ponds, lakes, and other standing bodies of water. For the last four years, researchers have studied the novel strategies these insects use to navigate their environment. To do so, they took high-speed video of the creatures using a camera and then digitized and analyzed the images. This article describes how these insects are able to climb the slippery slopes, or menisci, that arise when the water surface meets land, floating bodies, or emergent vegetation.